Dementia Risk Highest For Older Adults With Depression Plus Cognitive Impairment

Having a diagnosis of depression in addition to cognitive impairment raises the risk of developing dementia beyond the risk posed by having cognitive impairment alone. According to an international study that involved 65,000 older adults in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the risk of dementia, compared to people without depression or cognitive impairment, was more than three times higher for those with both conditions.

Over the follow-up period, which averaged 4.5 years, but for some lasted up to 22 years, 2.2% of participants were newly diagnosed with dementia. About 32.1% of the . . .